Supporting frame for articles of footwear



May 27, 1947.

W. H. DOHERTY SUPPORTING FRAME FOR ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 30, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

ATT'OR NEY$ Patented May 27, 1947 UNITED STATES T OFFICE SUPPORTING FRAME FOR ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR Claims.

This invention relates to supporting frames for articles of footwear, and is a division of my application Serial No. 573,176, filed January 17, 1945.

An object of the invention is to provide a supporting frame for a demountable heel for an article of footwear.

A further object is provision of a heel which will support the shoe and at the same time provide a desirable degree of resiliency.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a demountable heel having my improved supportable frame.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of a heel embodying the frame taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with an additional sponge insert.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my invention consists of an upper part 45 and a lower part 46 and a breast part 41 forming a complete heel. The breast part 41 is immediately integral with both upper and lower parts 45 and 46, respectively. The breast part 41 comprises a series of loops surrounding horizontal and transversely disposed peg 48 which may be made of wood or other suitable material. The peg serves as a fulcrum around which upper and lower parts 45 and 46 tend to pivot in opposite directions away from each other. A band 49 looped around the rearmost elements of upper and lower parts 45 and 46 prevents said upper and lower parts from spreading apart beyond a. predetermined distance.

It will be seen in Fig. 2 that the frame member immediately above described is embedded in a composition heel 50. It will also be seen in Fig. 2 that said heel comprises an outer skin or layer 5| and a filler or body portion 52 within said skin. A hollow portion or space 53 is formed in said body 52 between the upper and lower parts 45 and 46, respectively, of the frame member described. In this embodiment, the resiliency of the heel is due not so much to the resilience of the material of which the heel proper is made but rather is due to the resilience of the frame member embedded in said heel. Although a hollow member 53 is shown in this embodiment, this space may be filled by a spongy resilient material such as sponge rubber 54, as shown in Fig. 3. Preferably, the members and 46 are made of spring wire but any suitable material may be used.

I claim:

1. A heel for an article of footwear having a spring frame member embedded therein, said frame member comprising the upper and lower parts joined at the front of the heel and said heel having a hollow portion between said upper and lower frame part.

2. A heel for an article of footwear comprising plurality spring members bent upon themselves to form an upper and lower portion connected by a breast portion having loops, a peg within said loops and a restricting means engaging the opposite ends of said spring members.

3. A heel for an article of footwear comprising a plurality of spring members bent upon themselves to form at one end a loop, a peg member within said loop and a restricting means engaging the free ends of said spring members.

4. In a heel a plurality of spring members bent upon themselves to form a loop, the outer of said spring members tending to position the inner members and restricting means engaging said outer members.

5. In a heel as defined in claim 1 a cavity, said cavity being filled with a soft, resilient material.

WILLIAM H. DOHERTY. 

